University of Alabama’s Graduate Parent Support Program Also to be Recognized

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​ACE will give the 2014 Donna Shavlik Award to Governors State University (IL) President Elaine P. Maimon​, a longtime leader in strengthening higher education through inclusion and diversity.

The award will be presented at ACE’s 96th Annual Meeting in San Diego, during the Women’s Leadership Dinner Saturday, March 8.

ACE established the Donna Shavlik Award to honor the long and outstanding service of Donna Shavlik, former director of ACE's Office of Women in Higher Education (now part of the Inclusive Excellence Group). Presented annually, the award honors an individual who demonstrates a sustained commitment to advancing women in higher education, through leadership and career development, campus climate and mentoring.

Maimon has served as an ACE Women’s Leadership presidential sponsor in Arizona, Alaska and Illinois and worked as a state coordinator in Rhode Island and New York. She was a member of ACE’s Women’s Commission. When ACE first organized the National Identification Program for Women, Maimon—then an assistant professor at Beaver College (PA) (now Arcadia University)—assisted the college president in organizing the Pennsylvania chapter.

“Elaine Maimon has worked tirelessly and effectively to expand access to higher education overall and advance the cause of women in higher education leadership in particular,” said ACE President Molly Corbett Broad. “She is an inspiring role model and frequent mentor through her own achievements and her sustained commitment to creating paths to success for so many others.”

Paula Kerger, president and CEO of PBS, will give the keynote address at the Women’s Leadership Dinner.

ACE State Network Leadership Award

The 2014 ACE State Network Leadership Award will be given to The University of Alabama’s (UA) Graduate Parent Support (GPS) program. The award will be presented to Cori Perdue, director of GPS and UA Graduate School programs, at the Women’s Network Leadership Council reception just prior to the Women’s Leadership Dinner.

GPS, which was launched in the fall of 2009 by the UA Graduate School, aims to serve graduate students who have children by providing them with an innovative and accessible academic, social and emotional support system. Perdue also serves as the director of the Undergraduate Parent Support program.

The ACE State Network Leadership Award for the Advancement of Women in Higher Education recognizes an outstanding and innovative program, sponsored by an ACE State Network or by a college or university that helps advance or support women or women's issues in higher education.

“The Graduate Parent Support program at the University of Alabama is a prime example of how an institution can nurture educational excellence and ease the path toward a degree for post-traditional students, in this case graduate students who have children,” said Kim Bobby, director of ACE’s Inclusive Excellence Group. “GPS is working to both nurture educational excellence and to expand the pipeline of potential higher education leaders.”

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